Three MUST things you are going to get in version 3

[mmalacarne]

I personally don't see this as a useful feature on a forum. But it might be something good for a CMS (like drupal, joomla, etc) or social community script.

I don't think so.

User group, or social groups as we are calling it, are widely used on every types of forum.
A group can be used to assing privileges or not, this is only a side of the feature. The mail functionality is to gather user with common interesest or situation, to allow a bigger identification with other user.
Videogames boards can use social groups for clan, or type of videogame.
Local boards can use for identifying streets or place of interest.
Cinema or TV boards can use for movies or favourite Shows.
Or maybe social groups can be used for temporary jokes o any other things.

This can be done with secondary user group. But secondary user groups can grant privileges BUT is NOT visible by other user, or is not as visible as it could be.

A forum is a SOCIAL place, i think.

[Keith J. Kacin]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the feature request.

I was thinking of it such as 'Groups' on MySpace or Facebook?

[Jυra]

I think you understood it, but we kinda went off about social features in a more general way and how I said having such group like things would make a small forum look dead if used.

[Morrigan]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the feature request.

I was thinking of it such as 'Groups' on MySpace or Facebook?

That may be the OP's idea but that's not what I personally want/think that IPB needs.

When I think of social groups I do think of a group of people that have similar interests and likes but what I think of when I think of IPB is a way to easily integrate all three components (and others) of the IPB Suite. Ways to share images and information over the forums, gallery and blog.

The easiest thing I could think of was through Blog as I stated in the blog 1.4 thread when China J asked me about it:

I don't fully understand the current IP groups system, I'm pretty sure that the current system requires someone to sacrifice their blog and then they can add members to it to keep them updated which makes all information private to those users to read only so pretty much it is a private blog with only certain members able to view it. No one can apply, no one can auto-join or anything like that.

As for what I've been suggesting is pretty much an extra blog that users control. Somewhat similar to adding Editors but a little bit more controlled and giving the blog for a group more options like things that are public, private and so forth so people outside of the group can see what its about and get a few public updates and be able to join it from the outside.

I hope that makes sense if it doesn't then I can see about putting it into print screens for you.

Really if you want a comparable thought of what I'm thinking of its somewhat like a Yahoo Groups combined with Myspace Groups but better and easier to manage.

There were also things like The ability to have a Content block with the most recent public updates from the users groups and updates to groups galleries.

Sadly the best thing I can think of are from kids sites that have a decent implementation of some of the stuff I think should go on here. <_<

[Mark H.]

That will be grossly offtopic :) The name can be changed if its any problem though :)

Offtopic yes, sorry. But NO, not suggesting you change! Was simply curious, that's all. :)

And to keep ON-topic: I think all the features suggested are a good idea. But striking a "balance", between all the suggestions and opinions/comments, seems to be difficult.

Personally, I'm very much in favor of new features, but only if they aren't "forced" on users who wish not to use them. The Download, Gallery, and Blog modules are a good example, I think. Users have the option of just ignoring them if that's what they prefer.

[Dark55mage]

I don't believe all those things are a must but they would be great to have.

[minesota]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the feature request.

I was thinking of it such as 'Groups' on MySpace or Facebook?

No you are right actually. Though Myspace and Facebook have different ways of Groups implementations.
Allowing users to form their own Groups does not degrade / make dead / etc a forum BUT actually expands it by granting users more freedom in the way data is transferred and allows more creativity.

What IPB now has as profile is, under the skin, in many respects similar to Myspace or Facebook profile, when we consider that MOST important KEY features of such profiles are COMMENTING ( along with privacy options ) and display of friend list [ in older days buddy lists were for private view only ]

Many forums eg vbb have now the ability ( after initial refusal for days ) to have Groups from the profile page and lists the Groups in the profile page like the Friend's list.
Thus it is a matter of time Social Groups make a headway, like social profile has .... IT IS NOT COMPULSION ; can be a feature like Blog which I guess now more than 80% boards has compared to 0% in 96-98s :)

[Morrigan]

Well on my forum one of my staff members presented an interesting concept which would work SO amazingly with a Social group feature and that is like a Book Club or a Movie Club. If a member could auto-join a group or be approved by the creator/leader it would make this idea perfect because they would then join a group which would give them access to forums and if it were implemented into Gallery/Blog as well it would give them access to certain galleries and blogs that they would not normally have access to or would have limited access to providing those that want it the ability to access resources available to those in those interest groups.

[minesota]

Will that be the usual user expectation of any user who have been using orkut, facebook etc ?
Groups usually have their own mini-forums, event cals and polls WHILE Blog and Album are much of an individual affair where ONE individual (usually ) can create new content. In Groups ALL individuals who are members can create new content ( thread or photo or poll or event)

Frankly and simply speaking, IPB started as a board/forum BUT went on to add BLOG ( which till yesterday had nothing to do with forum) .... their BLOG is outstanding ... nothing beats it ... this has made me "greedy" ... why not SOCIAL GROUPS also then, add TRUE SOCIAL GROUPS and you already have social profile with comments, blog, album ... the making of a great social netwrok ... it can be so fantastically integrated and amazingly robust and scalable that no one will need to look at phpfox, dzoic, socialengine which all are in a hotchpotch and far below user expectations with abnormal prices ...